An apparatus and a method consistent with the present invention relate to punching out a plurality of parts from a tape-like member to produce products (cutouts).
Various methods have been known to punch out parts to be punched out (hereinafter also referred to as parts) from a tape-like member on which are arranged a plurality of parts to be used as electronic parts along the longitudinal direction. Parts are punched out by a press machine.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 11-77589 (see paragraphs [0027] to [0028] and FIG. 1) discloses a method for punching out parts from a tape-like member, which includes the steps of positioning a part on a die set of a press machine, capturing with a sensor (CCD camera) provided at the die set a mark printed on the tape-like member in the vicinity of the part, adjusting the position of the die set based on the positional relation between the mark and the sensor so that the cutting-plane line is arranged along the contour of the part, and punching out the part to obtain a cutout. According to this method, the die set is moved in the direction in which the tape-like member is transferred, the direction along the width of the tape-like member, and the turning direction around the vertical axis, on the basis of the marks printed on the tape-like member, so that the cutting-plane line is arranged along the contour of the part. Namely, positioning of the die set is carried out with respect to the mark.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-56008 (see paragraph [0061] and FIG. 4) discloses a method for punching out parts from a tape-like member, which includes the steps of capturing with a camera provided in the a press machine a mark printed on a part in a step prior to setting the part on the die set, and adjusting the position of the tape-like member in the direction for transferring the tape-like member and the direction along the width of the tape-like member based on the positional relation between the mark and the camera, so that the cutting-plane line is arranged along the contour of the part that is set on the die set. According to this method, the positional relation between the parts and the die set can be adjusted on the basis of the mark of the tape-like member. Namely, positioning of the mark on the tape-like member is carried out with respect to the die set.
In these punching-out methods, the position of the die set or the tape-like member is adjusted with respect to the parts to be punched out on the basis of the marks printed on the tape-like member in a certain position relative to the parts. However, if the position of a mark is deviated from/in the corresponding part on the tape-like member, the positional relation between the reference position and the part becomes different from the previously set positional relation. Therefore, even if the position of the tape-like member or the die set is adjusted based on the positional relation of the sensor or the camera relative to the mark, the cutting-plane line will not be arranged along the contour of the part.
Illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention overcome the above disadvantage and other disadvantages not described above.